Calculating appliance.



P. -B. ARRINGTON.

CALCULATING APPLIANCE. APPLICATION FILED AuG.14.19|s.

1,267,043. Patented May 21,1918.

4 SHEETSSHEET I.

P. B. ARRINGTON.. CALCULATING APPLIANCE.

7 APPLICATION FILED AUG.I4. I916.

Patented May 21,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

P. B. ARRINGTON.

V CALCULATINGAPPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED Auc.14. 191s,

Patented May 21,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4 Illl ll IIIL! A W W W PERRY :e. ARRINGTON, or CHICAGO,ILLINOIS.

CALCULATING- APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1918.

Application filed August 14, 1916. Serial No. 114,728.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERRY B. ARRINGTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Calculating Appliances,of which the following is a specificat1on.

My invention pertains to calculating or computing appliances for thesolution of arithmetical problems. One of its leading aims is theproduction of a machine of this character which shall be simple inconstructlon, easy to operate, certain in results, unlikely to becomedamaged or deranged, and economical to manufacture.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a device of this kindwith few keys for each column or number or index wheel, resulting ingreat simplification in the operating mechanism, a compact keyboard, anda capacity for more rapid operation,

and also rendering the machine operable by the so-called touch system.

The improved and novel device may be advantageously used for addition,subtraction, multiplication, and division. It displays each itemvisually, so that mistakes, if accidentally made, in the actuation ofthe keys, may be readily detected and corrected. It also indicates orregisters the results of the computation.

In order that those skilled in this art may have a full and completeunderstanding of the structural and functional advantages of anappliance of this kind, I have illustrated a preferred and desirableembodiment of the same in the accompanying drawings, throughout thevarious views of which like reference characters refer to the sameparts, and to which drawings reference should be had in connection withthe following detailed description of the construction and operation.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan View of the appliance with the casing partly brokenaway to re veal a portion of the interior structure;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 3-3 a fragmentary section on line44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail View of the carrying mechanism between thetotal number-wheels;

Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10, are detail views of the register or counteractuating mechanism, Fig. 10 being a view in the direction of the arrowA in Fig. 9.

Refering to these drawings, it will be observed that the applianceincludes a baseplate 20 and an appropriately shaped casing or housing 21apertured or windowed for the display of the various number wheels.

Mounted on the base 20 by means of screws 22 are a plurality of parallelsupporting-frames 23 corresponding in number to the number of columns offigures (five in the present instance) the appliance is capable ofaccommodating, each frame having a flat top portion 24 and anintermediate part or cross-bar 25 both apertured in alinement toslidingly receive the four stems 26, 27, 28, and 29 of the value keys30, 31,32, and 33 of the respective numerical values 1, 2, 3, and 4,which numerals are displayed on their upper faces (see Fig. 1). Theholes in the parts 24 and 25 and the stems which they accommodate aresquare or angular to prevent turning of the keys. These keys arenormally held raised by coil springs 34,

which surround their stems, and bear at their lower ends on thecross-piece 25 and at their upper ends press against washers 36 heldagainst upward movement onthe stems by transverse Q pins 35 extendedthrough the stems.

For each frame and its set of four value keys, there is a pair ofbearing brackets 37 and 38 which rotatably support a shaft 39 parallelto and at one side of the frame 23, the shaft extending through suchbrackets at both ends. Between the brackets the shaft is provided with asleeve or hollowshaft 40 free to turn thereon. Fixed to the centralportion of the sleeve or hollow-shaft is the hub 41 of an arm 42 towhich one end of a contractile spring is fastened, the other end beingsecured to the cross-bar 25. The function of this spring is toautomatically return the sleeve to normal position as soon as theactuated key moves up under the influence of its spring 34.

Four other hubs 44, 45, 46, and 47 are secured to the sleeve 0rhollow-shaft and have the four arms 48, 49, 50 and 51 thereon arrangedin stepped relation about the axis of the shaft, each arm beingaccommodated in the slotted or bifurcated end of one of the key stems,as shown in Fig. 5, stems 26, 27, 28, and 29 co-acting respectively withthe arms 48, 4:9, 50, and 51, the ends of the stems when depressedstriking the base-plate and thus limiting the downward movement of thekeys. When the key 30 is depressed, it will turn the sleeveonetvventieth of a revolution, key 31 two twentieths, key 32 threetwentieths, and key 33 four twentieths, clearly indicating that theextent of rotation of the sleeve or hollow shaft is proportional to thenumerical value of the actuated key.

The sleeve at one end has an arm 52 fixed thereon by means of a hub 53.Arm 52 carries a spring-actuated pawl 54 which co-acts with aratchet-wheel 55 loose on the shaft 39 and provided with aspring-pressed locking-roller 56 adapted to cofiiperate with its notchesand mounted on a leaf-spring 57 having its end fastened at 58 to theframe 23.

Rigid with the ratchet wheel. is a mutilated-gear 59, a notched-wheel60, and an item number-wheel 61, all of which are loose on the shaft butconnected to one another so that they will rotate together. Aspringdetent 62 co-acts with wheel 60 preventing improper orunintentional turning, acting as a temporary lock. The item numberwheel61 displays on its face twenty numerals running twice from 0 to 9.

At its opposite end, sleeve 40 has a similar arm 62 thereon, carrying aspring-operated pawl 63 adapted to co-actwith a ratchetwheel 64 fixed onshaft 39. Rigid with the ratchet and shaft is a mutilated gear 65, anotched wheel 66 with its spring-detent 67, and a duplex number-wheel68, 69, of which the portion 68 is a total number wheel with twentyfigures running from 0 to 9 twice, and the part 69 is a reversenumber-wheel with twenty figures running from 0 to 9 twice, but inreverse order from the numerals on wheel 68, (see Fig. 1.) p In orderthat pawl 63 shall be raised or retracted from its ratchet-wheel when innormal or inoperative position, it is provided with a pin 70 which ridesup an incline or cam 71 on a bracket 72 mounted on frame 23. Theratchet-wheel also has a spring roller lock 71.

It will, of course, be understood that each of the shafts 39 is equippedwith such a mechanism as described above.

To carry from one total number-wheel 68 to the one of next higherdenomination, each ratchet-wheel 64a is equipped with two pins 7 4-, 74,which at the proper time strike the tail of a lever 75 fulcrumed on theframe 23 at 76. This lever carries a dog or pawl 77 pivoted at 7 8 andcotiperating with a stop-pin 79. A spring 80 is connected to the pawland to a fixed support. When the carrying operation occurs the pawl 77rises, engages one of the teeth of the adjacent ratchet-wheel, and turnsit one step, the pivotal mounting of the pawl permitting it to descendas soon as the pin 74 passes by the lever without interference with oractuation of the ratchet.

All of the number-wheels, 68, 69, are simultaneously cleared or set backto 0 by means of a mutilated rack-bar 81, slidingly supported on abracket 82 and on one or more of the brackets 37 This rack-bar has fiveseries of teeth 83 which by meshing with the mutilated gears-65,turn allof the 11mm -ber-vvheels 68 and 69 back at the same time.

The omission of teeth at the proper points in these gears assures thatthe wheels will not be turned back farther than the 0 point. Rockbar 81is manipulated by a handle 84 on the end of a shaft 85 which protrudesfrom the casing, the shaft having an arm 86 thereon with a looseconnection with the rack. of the pawls 63 are out'of engagement withtheir respective ratchet-wheels during the clearing operation, nodifiiculty is encountered in turning the wheels back.

The item number-Wheels 61 are simultaneously cleared in a somewhatsimilar manner, but instead of being turned back they are advanced to 0and hence there is no necessity for their pawls being retracted duringthe clearing operation. This mechanism includes a mutilated rack-bar 90arranged beneath the cut-away gears 59 and slidable in a bearing 91 andon one 'or more pins on one or more of the standards '38. Whereas therack-bar 81 has its teeth presented downwardly, the bar 90 has its keysextended upwardly, but it operates in much the same way, except that itsimultaneously advances all the item number-wheels to 0 instead ofreversing their rotation. Bar 90 is slid by means of an arm 92 having aloose connection therewith and fixed to a shaft 93 revoluble in bearings95 and 94, the shaft outside of the housing having a manipulating handle96. To operate either clearing rack-bar it is slid to the right as theparts are viewed in Fig. 1, indicated.

The device also has a single counter or register associated with theitem numberwheel clearing appli'ance. It comprises an index-wheel 10.0bearing on its face twenty numerals from 0 to and including 19. Thiswheel is mounted in any approved manner on a shaft 99 revolublyaccommodated in a bearing-member 98, and has a ratchet-wheel 101 fixedthereto, a detent spring 102 006perating with the latter to preventimproper turning. Wheel has a knob or handle 103 outside of the casingby which it may Owing to the fact that all 90 by means of the handle beturned back to 0. To enable the item number-wheel clearing means tooperate this ratchet and register, the following instrumentalities areemployed. A lever 104 is pivoted on the base at 105 and is ordinarilypulled by a spring 106 against a fixed stop 107. At one end lever 104has an upturned ear 108 in the path of travel of a pin 109 1 fastened torack-bar 90. Obviously, pm 109 by striking this ear rocks the leveragainst the retracting influence of its spring, At its opposite endlever 104 carries a pawl 110 fulcrumed on a lug 111 of the lever andequipped with a stoppin 112 adapted to bear on shoulder 113 of the lug,the pawl being under the influence of a contractile spring 114. When thelever is rocked by the sliding rack-bar, pawl 110 engages ratchet 101and turns it and the register wheel one step. Reverse movement of therack-bar permits the lever to return to its original posit on, thespring mounting of the pawl permlttlng it to return too withoutinterference with the ratchet. Thus, every time the item number-wheelsare cleared the operation is registered on wheel 100.

For addition the appliance is operated substantially as follows: Eachitem is set up on the appropriate keys in the proper columns whichcauses it to be registered on the item number-wheels and on the totalnumberwheels, so that the operator by inspectlon of the item wheels canbe certain that he has made no error. These actuated keys .of course,slide up as soon as released by the operators fingers. Each item 1scleared from the item-wheels, but not from the total number-wheels,before the next ltem s set up so that the register or counter W111 atall times indicate the number of items which have been applied to thekeys. By th s means the operator can readily start aga n on interruptedwork, knowing by the reglster just where he left off in the computatlon.For any number above four for any column, as for instance, five, thekeys 2 and 3 of that column would be depressed; for seven the keys 3 and4 would be depressed; for eight the key 4 would be actuated twice; fornine, the key 3 would be operated tl'lIGQ'tlIllQS. Obviously, byemploying this small number of keys, the so-called touch system may beadvantageously employed as all keys may be readily reached. The resultof the addition will, of course, be displayed on the total number-wheels68, 68, and afterward these may be cleared or turned to zero bymanipulation of the handle 84.

For subtraction, the reverse dials 69 are used, and the operation isidentical with that of addition; the minuend is set up on the machine bydepressing the keys corresponding to the complement of the minuend. Forexample, assume that it is desired to subtract 1362 from 3841, thisminuend 3841 is set up on the wheels 69 by depressing the keys in theappropriate columns corresponding to the complement number 6158, andthen by setting up the subtrahend 1362 on the keys the result 2479 canbe read on the wheels 69.

To multiply 42 by 3 for example, the 42 is registered on the value keysthree times, that is to say the 2 is registered in the unit column threetimes and the 4 is registered in the tens column three times. The resultor product 126 will appearon the wheels 68. To multiply 74 by 38 forinstance, the 4 is registered eight times in the unit column and the 7is registered 8 times in the tens column; then the 4 is registered inthe tens column three times and the 7 is registered in the hundredscolumn three times, the total 2812 appearing on the total number-wheels68. Stated somewhat differently, the 74 is registered eight times in thetens and unit columns and then the 74 isfect division the dividend isset up in the machine and the division is efl'ected as in subtraction,the divisor being subtracted from the dividendbeginning at the left, and

the subtraction being repeated until the remainder is smaller than thedivisor.

To divide 4328 by 34 the 4328 is set up on the wheels 69 by registeringits complement 5671 on the proper value keys; then the divisor 34 isregistered on the value keys corresponding to the wheels on which thenumbers 43 of the number 4328 occur. It is then cleared from the itemwheels thus moving the register from 0 to 1. This 1 is noted down as thefirst figure 0f the quotient. The wheels 69 will now show the number928,the 9 being the remainder of the 34 subtracted from the 43 and the28 being a portion of the original number 4328. Then the divisor 34 isset up on the keys corresponding to the wheels displaying the numerals92, the counter having been previously returned to 0 by turning thehandle 103. Then this is cleared from the item wheels, the registermoving from O to 1 again. The 34 is setup on the same keys a secondtime, the counter moving from 1 to 2. This 2 is then noted down as thesecond number of the quotient. The remainder 24 will show on the wheels69, as will also the 8 of the original number, leaving on the wheels thenumber 248. The 34 is set up on the keys corresponding to the columns ofthe wheels showing the 48 and is cleared each time, the register havingbeen set back to 0 to start with. This can be done seven times,the 7showing on the register which is noted down as the last number of thequotient, and there will be a remainder of 10 on the wheels 69 intowhich, of course, the '34 cannot go. The quotient will, therefore, be127 with a remainder of 10.

To those skilled in this art, it will be clear that many minormechanical changes may be made in the structure without departure fromthe heart and substance of the invention and without the sacrifice ofany of its substantial benefits and advantages. For

example, instead of'having the arms 48, 49,

50, and '51 on the sleeve in stepped angular relation, they might be allin a line and the stems of the keys arranged in stepped relation tosecure the movement of the sleeve or hollow shaft proportional to thevalue of the keys. Or, the strokes of the keys might be varied inproportion to their values. It will be furthermore clear that keys ofdifferent kinds or actuating levers might be employed instead of thestyle of sliding keys illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. In a calculating-appliance of the character described, thecombination of a plurality of number-wheels of different denominations,and means to operate each of said wheels, including a row of keys ofdifferent values and a shaft disposed longitudinally of the row andadapted to be actuated *by said keys, the axes of said shaft and "thecorresponding number-wheel being coincident, the key of highest value ofthe row turning said shaft not more than a half revolution,substantially as described.

2. In a calculating-appliance of the character described, thecombination of a plurality of number-wheels of different denominations,and means to operate each of said wheels, including-a row of not morethan five keys of different values and a shaft disposed longitudinallyof the row and-adapted to be actuated by said keys, the axis of saidshaft being coincident with the axis of the corresponding number wheel,the key of highest value of the row turnin the shaft not more than ahalf revolution, sdbstanually as described.

3. In a calculating appliance of the character described, thecombination of a plurality of number wheels of difierent denominations,and means to operate said wheels, in-

cluding a rowof keys of different values for each of said number wheels,a shaft disposed longitudinally of'each of said rows and actuated bysaid keys, and a plurality of arms arranged in stepped relation withwhich said keys cotiperate, said shaft being coincident with the axis ofthe corresponding number wheel, substantially as described.

4. In a calculatingappliance of the character described, the combinationof a plurality of number wheels of different denominations, and means tooperate said wheels, including a row of keys of different values ity ofnumber wheels of different-denominafor each of said number wheels, ashaft disposed longitudinally of each of said rows and actuated by saidkeys, and a'plurality of arms, the stems of said :keys and said armsbeing in stepped relation to one another, said shaft being parallel tothe axis of the corresponding number wheel, substantially as described.

5. In a calculating appliance of the char-- acter described, thecombination of a plurality of number wheels of different denominations,and means to operate said wheels, including a row of keys of differentvalues for each of said number wheels, a shaft disposed longitudinallyof each of said rows of keys on which the corresponding number wheel ismounted, a sleeve on each of said shafts, a plurality of arms on saidsleeve arranged in stepped relation with which said :keys -co operate,and a drive-connection between each 85 of said sleeves and itscorresponding shaft, substantially as described.

*6. In a calculating appliance of the character described, thecombination of a pluraltions, and means to operate said wheels,including-a row of keys of different values for each'ofsaid numberwhee-ls, a. shaft disposed longitudinally of each of said rows of keyson which the corresponding number wheel is mounted, a sleeve on each ofsaid shafts, a plurality of arms :onsaid sleeve in stepped relation andwith which said keys coperate, and a pawl and ratchet drive connectionbetween said sleeve and shaft, substantially as described.

T. In a calculating appliance of the character described, thecombination of a plurality of item number wheels of differentdenominations, a corresponding plurality of .105 total number wheels ofdifferent denominations, and means to operate said Wheels, in-

eluding a row of keys of different values for -means to actuate saidwheels, including a row ofkeys of (lIfIGFGDt values, a shaft disposedlongitudinally of said row of keys, a sleeve on said shaft,'a pluralityof arms on said sleeve arranged in stepped relation with which said keyscooperate, and a pawl and ratchet mechanism between said sleeve andnumber wheels, substantially as described.

9. In a calculating appliance of the character described, thecombination of an item number wheel, a total number wheel, a row ofoperatingkeys of different values, a shaft disposed longitudinally ofsaid row of keys,

one of said number wheels being fixed to said shaft, the other numberwheel being loose on said shaft, a sleeve on said shaft, a plurality ofarms on said sleeve arrangedin stepped relation and with which said keyscooperate, and connecting-means between said sleeve and number wheels,substantially as described.

10. In a calculating appliance of the character described, thecombination of a shaft, a number wheel actuated by said shaft, the axesof said shaft and wheel being coincident, a row of not more than fivekeys of difi'erent values, and means whereby said keys When actuatedturn said shaft and number wheel amounts proportional to their values,the key of highest value turning the shaft not more than a halfrevolution, substantially as described.

11. In a calculating machine of the character described, the combinationof a shaft, a number wheel actuated by said shaft, the axes of saidshaft and wheel being coincident, a row of not more than five keys ofdifferent values, and means whereby said keys when actuated turn saidshaft and number wheel amounts proportional to their values, the key ofhighest value turning said shaft not more than a one-quarterrevolution', substantially as described.

12. In a calculatin appliance of the character described, thecombination of a plurality of rows of value keys, the rows being ofdifferent denominations, and the keys of each row being of differentvalues, a shaft for, parallel to, and actuated by the keys of each row,and an item number wheel and a total number wheel for each of saidshafts and concentric therewith, substantially as described.

13. In a calculating appliance of the character described, thecombination of a plurality of rows of value keys, the rows being ofdifferent denominations and the keys of each row being of differentvalues, a shaft for and actuated by the keys of each row, and an itemnumber wheel and a total number wheel actuated by said shaft, said totalnumber wheel displaying two series of numerals, one series being inreverse order to that of the companion series, substantially asdescribed.

PERRY B. ARRINGTON.

Cople: of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

